1959 Bentley S2 Continental Flying Spur. on 2040-cars
Deerfield Beach, Florida, United States
A History of the 1959 Bentley S2 Continental (BC7LAR) H.J. Mulliner (7508) “Flying Spur” Saloon
In 1931, Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley and the cars that followed were as richly engineered as their Rolls-Royce kin, marketed as “The Silent Sports Car”—appealing to a wide variety of well-healed buyers. After WWII, Rolls-Royce embarked on a “rational range” of cars, denoting an engineering approach that resulted in key commonality in components and, for the first time, began building complete automobiles (both chassis and bodies). The postwar cars also held many similarities in outward appearance—Bentley Mark VIs and later “S” series cars greatly resembled Rolls-Royce Silver Dawns and the later Silver Cloud series, respectively. However, the company also produced a “Continental” chassis (short wheelbase) with an eye for performance characteristics for the Bentley marque. Combined with custom bodies designed by the surviving coachbuilders, these postwar coachbuilt Continental Bentleys are among the most desirable postwar cars ever built. This car has the further distinction of being the first S2 Continental chassis to be delivered (Nov. 1959). Accordingly, it is also the first H.J. Mulliner (design 7508) “Flying Spur” saloon delivered. Interestingly, records also indicate that it was ordered to be shown at 1959 Paris Auto Show, but it was completed and delivered too late to appear at the show. Up until World War II, a car produced by Bentley (before and after Rolls-Royce ownership) was only a chassis, which included the frame, wheels, engine and running gear, steering wheel and dashboard, and the Bentley radiator with its “Flying B” mascot. After purchasing a chassis, the customer would choose a coachbuilder to finish the body of the car. The firm of H.J. Mulliner formed a long history of supplying bodies for Rolls-Royce customers and the tradition carried over to the Bentleys produced under Rolls-Royce stewardship. Though the Mulliner family could trace its coachbuilding roots to an H.J. Mulliner who started a Mulliner firm in 1854 in Liverpool, the founder of the 1900 firm that came to build bodies for automobiles was only distantly connected. Other members formed coachbuilding companies too, such as Arthur Mulliner, which was in business from 1897 to 1939. But it was H.J. Mulliner, with its strong ties to Rolls-Royce that became most successful during the golden age of luxury automobile production that called for the arts of the independent coachbuilding firms. Bentley records indicate this S2 Continental (BC7LAR with engine #A7BC) was delivered to its first owner, Severance Allen Millikin, H?tel Le Bristol, 112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honor?, Paris, France in November 1959. (The company guarantee (no. B3684) was issued on November 11, 1959.) A penciled note appears on the record stating what appears to be “chassis for use USA” and under that “Cleveland Ohio.” This makes sense, since Mr. Millikin was a socialite and a world traveler, and receiving delivery of his Bentley in Paris was probably convenient. When in New York, he would stay at the Hotel Plaza and was well known in polo circles on Long Island. Mr. Millikin inherited his fortune from his uncle, John L. Severance of 3616 Mayfield Road in Cleveland, the town of the family’s societal origins. It was said that his Cleveland home was one of the show places of the city—the Elizabethan home was one of the first estates in that part of the country to have its own golf course. Mr. Millikin made news when he married Milan-born actress Marta Abba in January 1938. Abba played the role of Grand Duchess Tatiana Petrovna in Tovarich at the Plymouth Theatre (1936-37). They divorced in 1952. He remarried and died in 1985 after an incapacitating illness. His wife Marguerite followed in 1989. The second owner of record appears to be Richard L. Taylor, Sr., MD, 25100 Euclid Ave, Euclid, OH 44117 in August, 1969, just shy of ten years since it was first delivered to Mr. Millikin. Mr. Taylor did not own the car for very long, as the following sales advertisement appeared in the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club magazine (The Flying Lady) in January 1971: BENTLEY CONTINENTAL (BC7LAR) 1959 Mulliner Flying Spur. Factory air, power windows, new brakes, tires and transmission. Black, tan leather. Very fast roadable car. Maintenance bills available. $11,200. R.L. Taylor, M.D. 25100 Euclid Ave., Euclid, Ohio (216) 261-3466 Indeed the car was sold to its third owner, Mr. Ralph H. Zimmerman, 1104 Prospect Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115 in December 1971. There is no record of another owner until the car was purchased by Mr. Sanford Redmond, 780 East 134th Street, New York, NY 10454 on June 23, 1982. In fact, all the owners except the first were members of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club and this car was tied to each. Sanford Redmond was the longest owner of BC7LAR, owning the car from 1982 to 2013, when his son Jonathan negotiated the car to its current owner. The Redmond’s account of ownership survives, written on their own company letterhead (“Sanford Redmond Inc., patented packing and its production equipment, 65 Harvard Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902”), and the account starts by stating that Mr. Redmond was the “renowned inventor of the ‘Reddies Automatic’ butter pat machine and ‘dispenSRpak,’ the one hand to open portion package.” Mr. Redmond confirms he purchased the car in 1982. At that time, he indicates spending over $100,000 on the mechanical restoration alone, followed by a new Connolly leather interior and a paint job totaling $20,000. He wanted to have a 100 point show car, but one he could readily drive as well, so he upgraded the air to a high powered GM Delco system and installed a Sony sound system. He personalized the car by adding a “poison green” paint trim to the Bentley wheel rims, which he claimed to be “the first compliment every onlooker [has] mentioned while admiring the Bentley.” The current owner commissioned Executive Motor Works of Boca Raton to attend to a rigorous refurbishment of the car. The acclaimed “poison green” rims were perhaps the first casualty of a refurbishment that included a new interior and an extensive mechanical review, applying corrective attention wherever needed. It was found that in all, the mechanical restoration Mr. Redmond lavished over had held up very well. The car made its show d?but at the 2013 Boca Raton Concours’ d’Elegance, where it joined in heavy competition with freshly fully-restored examples of coachbuilt Bentleys. Its acceptance into the show and its award of “Excellence in Class” was a testament to its current high standard in condition and presentation. The story of saloon bodies on these short “Continental” chassis is also of note. These sporting chassis were intended to hold 2-door sports coup? and convertible bodies. Inevitably, customer demand for a sporty 4-door saloon gained strength for the new S1 chassis (produced from 1955-1959), and H.J. Mulliner responded by introducing its “Flying Spur” design #7443, a 4-door, 6-light saloon. When the S2 chassis was introduced, the 7443 design needed to be modified to accommodate the upgrade from the inline 6 cylinder of the S1 to the new more-powerful V8 engine of the S2. Additionally, customers had complained about the trunk configuration of the 7443 design, with its high clearance, which caused one to lift luggage high to clear its rear body height above the bumper. Design 7508’s trunk was made larger to include the license plate and reversing lights so that it could open right above the bumper, allowing for easier use of the trunk. It should be noted that while this car was the first H.J. Mulliner S2 Continental delivered and the first with a 7508 body, it is still a member of a very low production family; as only a total of 114 cars were made to design 7508 for the entire production life of the S2 Continental, a design made exclusively for the S2 Continental. Today, this car, BC7LAR, is presented as it was originally made, with a black exterior and a tan leather interior. To see a video of this magnificent motor car, please visit executivemotorworks.net |
Bentley Continental Flying Spur for Sale
Bentley flying spur speed steering wheel immaculate and serviced automobile(US $94,888.00)
One owner!! clean carfax and autocheck!! bentley continental flying spur 39k(US $69,995.00)
13 hallmark twin turbo 6l w12 awd speed *veneer picnic tables*piano black veneer
2008 flying spur loaded(US $75,900.00)
Mulliner driving spec loaded with only 425 miles!(US $224,900.00)
2008 bentley continental flying spur beluga portland 2 -tone 4 place seating a1!
Auto Services in Florida
Workman Service Center ★★★★★
Wolf Towing Corp. ★★★★★
Wilcox & Son Automotive, LLC ★★★★★
Wheaton`s Service Center ★★★★★
Used Car Super Market ★★★★★
USA Auto Glass ★★★★★
Auto blog
Bentley CEO says Mulsanne Convertible isn't going to happen [w/poll]
Mon, 23 Sep 2013Bentley and Rolls-Royce may be as direct as competitors get, but that doesn't mean they go head-to-head on every model. Bentley is arguably more focused on its Continental line, with the pricier Mulsanne branching off of it. Rolls-Royce, meanwhile, only recently expanded (relatively) down-market with the Wraith and the Ghost on which it's based. For Rolls, it's long been about the Phantom and its coupe and convertible variants. And Bentley doesn't pose much of a challenge in that stratospheric segment.
Crewe discontinued the old Arnage-based Brooklands coupe and Azure convertible in 2009 and 2011, respectively, and hasn't rolled out a successor for either in the few years since. The high-end British automaker revealed a conceptual convertible based on the Mulsanne at Pebble Beach Concours last year and was said to be moving ahead with production plans, but the latest intel suggests that Bentley has taken it off the development table.
This according to Car and Driver, which spoke with Bentley's new chief exec Wolfgang Schreiber at the Frankfurt Motor Show. According to Schreiber, there just isn't enough demand worldwide to justify the development costs - even if it is based on the existing flagship sedan. Apparently Bentley has evaluated that beyond the US and Europe, they couldn't sell enough of them in other markets to make it worthwhile. We'd imagine some Middle-Eastern sheikhs might like to get their hands on a few, but apparently the higher priority is getting the Falcon sport-ute out the door.
2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed debuts with more power, big handling improvements
Tue, Mar 23 2021Fast news is coming out of the UK today in the form of a new Bentley Continental GT Speed. Similar to the previous generations of the Continental GT, this latest version is getting the Speed treatment. Bentley may be talking endlessly about its green future, but until that materializes, the British marque is continuing to pump out W12 master classes of luxury and speed. The idea is the same as all “Speed” versions of recent Bentleys. Add power, increase handling abilities, and make it look faster. Power from the 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 increases to 650 horsepower (24 extra ponies), while torque remains constant at 664 pound-feet. The extra power comes from increasing the manifold pressure in the upper rev range, meaning the extra power is all the top. This results in a 0.1-second reduction in the 0-60 mph time, which is now down to 3.5 seconds. Top speed is a lofty 208 mph, which is a 1 mph increase from the non-Speed. See, itÂ’s speedier! While the power gains are admittedly small, the other performance improvements Bentley made look like theyÂ’ll be much more noticeable from behind the wheel. For one, the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission reportedly shifts twice as fast in Sport mode as it does in the regular W12 model. The engine and transmission calibration is also revised to make its upshifts higher in the rev band and downshift earlier. Bentley says the exhaust is much louder with greater “character” than the standard car, too. The chassis and drive system get significant updates for better handling. The car's big new party trick is four-wheel steering, which is becoming increasingly common for large luxury cars. As you might expect, the rear wheels turn opposite the fronts at low speeds for better agility, and the rears turn the same direction as the fronts at high speeds for better stability. This means the Continental GT Speed should feel more nimble and quick on its feet than lesser versions. Additionally, Bentley says itÂ’s using a new all-wheel-drive torque split and traction control calibration “to provide a noticeable character shift” for the Speed. Basically, theyÂ’re loosening the reins a bit, which will ultimately result in the Speed feeling more tail-happy and eager to rotate in corners. Brake-based torque vectoring is implemented in the Speed for when you want to power through corners more efficiently, too.
New Bentley Continental GT3 race car looks beautiful and brutal
Thu, Nov 9 2017Bentley has been building and racing GT3-class versions of the Continental GT since about 2013. As such, it's really no surprise that Bentley would create one based on the newest Continental GT, as seen above. Still, we're glad to see it, especially because it looks really mean, and better than the outgoing racer. Part of the design improvements are due simply to the new road car's looks. The lower, wider grille, and tidier, less bulbous tail do a lot to make the race car look much lower and more aggressive than the old car. But the racing-specific bodywork is cleaner and more aggressive, too. Large overfenders are fitted both front and rear, and they each have integrated intake vents at the leading and trailing edges. The openings at the front of the front fenders are curved such that they look a bit like angry eyebrows. The rear diffuser looks better integrated with the body now, rather than simply lurking behind a cut-down rear bumper. The big wing with outboard supports is also impressive. Performance-wise, there likely won't be a major difference between this and the outgoing car. It seems power is down a bit to over 550 horsepower rather than over 600 horsepower. Curb weight is estimated to be under 1,300 kg, which is about 2,866 pounds. That's also similar to the old car. Power also continues to come from a twin-turbocharged V8 sending power to the rear wheels. This is a sharp contrast to the road car's twin-turbocharged W12 sending power to all four wheels. For any enterprising racers looking to trade to a new car or get into a GT3, Bentley will begin selling the new Continental GT3 next June. Pricing has not been announced. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Bentley Continental GT3 race car Image Credit: Bentley Motorsports Bentley Coupe Racing Vehicles bentley continental gt3